Who was Anand Dighe, the political guru of Eknath Shinde and the ‘Thackeray of Thane’?

After Dighe’s death, his supporters set fire to Singhania Hospital. Anand Dighe was also charged with killing Shiv Sena councilor Shridhar Khopkar and was arrested under the TADA Act.

Even 21 years after his death, Shiv Sainiks of Thane takes the name of Anand Dighe with respect. Eknath Shinde also said during the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray’s cabinet on November 28, 2019 that “Dharmaveer takes oath in memory of Anand Dighe”.

He had then said: “With greetings to the head of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray, remembrance of Dharamveer Anand Dighe, good deeds of the parents, loyalty to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, Chief Uddhav Thackeray, with blessings …”

While the rest of the situation may have changed while he was taking the oath of office as chief minister, his sense of respect for Anand Dighe was maintained.

Earlier, during the Lok Sabha elections, the son of BJP leader Narayan Rane Nilesh Rane had alleged that Balasaheb Thackeray was responsible for the assassination of Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe.

After that, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut had denied all the allegations made by Rane. But because of this whole affair, a fight broke out between Anand Dighe, Shiv Sena and Rane.

In August 2001, Shiv Sainiks set fire to Thane Singhania Hospital.

After that, the owner of the hospital, Vijaypat Singhania, declared, “We call Pakistan a terrorist state. But Thane is different? Shiv Sena’s chief, Balasaheb Thackeray, should apologize to us.”

In fact, in August 2001, a Shiv Sena worker was treated at Singhania Hospital. Shiv Sainik died during treatment and this news spread like wildfire to Thane.

After that, about 1,500 Shiv Sainiks set fire to Singhania Hospital. After that, Singhania had demanded an apology to the head of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray, desperate.

After the death of the Shiv Sainik who had this commotion, his name was Anand Chintamani Dighe.

Anand Dighe was born on January 27, 1952. His home is in the Tembhi Naka area of ​​Thane. Bal Thackeray meetings were held in this area. Young Anand Dighe used to attend Balasaheb meetings.

Milind Ballal, editor of the Thane Vaibhav newspaper, said: “Anand was fascinated by Balasaheb’s eloquence and personality. Balasaheb was fascinated by him. So he decided to work for Shiv Sena for the rest of his life and he was a general worker of Shiv Sena in the 70s. He was so engrossed in the work of Shiv Sena that he did not even marry.

In a large district like Thane, the Shiv Sena had a full-time worker in Anand Dighe. Seeing Dighe’s hard work, Shiv Sena put on his shoulders the responsibility of the Thane district president.

Sopan Bongane, a Thane journalist who met Dighe, says: “Dighe had his mother, brother and sister in his house. But when he became the district president, he left the house. living where the office was, sleeping there, the workers bringing them food.

From the district chief to Dharamveertrip of

Meanwhile, Dighe established “Anand Ashram” in the Tembhi Naka area. In this ashram, a public court was held every morning. The people of the area made Dighe aware of his problems and began to solve them immediately.

Independent journalist Ravindra Pokharkar says: “People in trouble used to meet at Anand Ashram from 6am.”

Ravindra Pokharkar also says, “Dighe followed a very strict religious policy. He was the first to start Navratri celebrations in Tembhi Naka. He started the first Dahi-Handi festival. All these religious activities led to ‘Dharmaveer’. spread his fame in the form of ‘

Senior journalist Hemant Desai says of Dighe’s popularity: “Anand Dighe’s popularity was increasing day by day. The news of his popularity also reached Matoshree. Dighe founded an independent sect in Shiv Sena. Even in Shiv Seine had a policy of king and subjects.At that time it was told to Thane that Balasaheb was upset with his popularity.

However, Balasaheb said at the time, “There is no doubt that Anand is biased. There is no doubt about Anand’s loyalty to Hinduism, but about the way Anand is handling matters. There is a question about it. “

Anand Dighe had said then: “I work only with the consent of the head of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray.”

According to the Frontline magazine report, “If Dighe had not run in any election or was not interested in any charge, he could have become ‘Bal Thackeray of Thane’.”

Due to the Thane mayoral election in 1989, Anand Dighe’s discussion began to take place across the state.

Prakash Paranjpe was Shiv Sena’s candidate for mayor in this election and was expected to be elected mayor of Shiv Sena. Since Anand Dighe was the head of the Thane district of Shiv Sena, he had to make Paranjpe win. But Paranjpe lost by just one vote.

Some votes from Shiv Sena were split in these elections. After this defeat, Bal Thackeray was furious and publicly asked, “Who is the traitor?”

Hemant Desai says, “Balasaheb had said openly, ‘We will not forgive those who deceived.'”

A few days later, it began to be argued that Shiv Sena’s councilor, Shridhar Khopkar, had betrayed his own party and voted for the opposition candidate and therefore Shiv Sena’s candidate had to ‘face defeat.

A month later, Khopkar was killed in broad daylight. Dighe was charged in the case and was arrested under the TADA Act of 1987. He was later released on bail. The affair continued until his death.

Hemant Desai says, “If there was a dispute in Thane after this incident, people would have said,‘ What should I do with your khopkar? “

When Shiv Sena was in power in Thane Municipal Corporation and Anand Dighe was the district president of Shiv Sena, he filed complaints against his own party councilors.

He had alleged: “41% of corruption is happening in Thane Municipal Corporation. In Thane Municipal Corporation, councilors eat commissions while awarding contracts.”

A committee of inquiry was set up under the chairmanship of Nandlal, secretary of the government of Maharashtra. Pokharkar says, “After a year of investigation, the Nandlal Committee report came. But then Dighe was dead. Many facts were found in Dighe’s complaint, but then nothing happened.”

On the morning of August 24, 2001, Dighe was going to meet the workers at his home due to the Ganesh festival. During this the car crashed. He broke a leg and suffered a head injury in the crash.

He was admitted to Thane Singhania Hospital after the accident. There they operated on him. On the afternoon of the 26th they operated on his leg. But in the evening his health began to deteriorate.

He had his first heart attack at 7:15 p.m. He had a second heart attack 10 minutes later at 7:25 p.m. He breathed his last at the hospital at 10:30 p.m. Dighe was 50 at the time.

No one dared to say that Anand Dighe died. Finally, Uddhav Thackeray publicly announced, “Anand Dighe is dead.”

Following Uddhav’s announcement, some 1,500 Dighe fans set fire to the entire hospital outside the hospital. After that, then Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal ordered an investigation into the matter and later 34 people were arrested. Thane was imprisoned after Dighe’s death. Despite this, thousands of Shiv Sainiks attended his funeral.

At a condolence meeting in Thane in 2001 after Dighe’s death, Balasaheb Thackeray had said, “Anand ruled with his beard. No one dared go against him.”

However, then Bal Thackeray would not have even guessed that Eknath Shinde, raised by Anand Dighe, would one day go against his own son.